Automobile lifting jack



March 20, 1956 H. NILSON AUTOMOBILE LIF'TING JACK ATTORNEYS.

IINVENTORI jwa m, 424 9 Filed Feb. 15, 1954 United States PatentAUTOMOBILE LIFTlNG JACK Harold Nilson, Wayzata, Minn., assignor toVulcan Manufacturing Co., Inc., Winona, Minn, a corporation of MinnesotaApplication February 15, 1954, Serial No. 410,372

4 Claims. (Cl. 254-103) This invention relatesrto a bumperjackforautomobiles and the like, and particularly to a novel supportingstructure of the tripod type. g

It is a primary object of the present inventionto provide a collapsiblesupporting structure of the tripod type for an automobile bumper jack,wherein novel pivotal and sliding linkages are employed between variousstructural elements for providing an efficientconstruction of highstrength and stability. I

It is another object to provide simple and efficient mechanical linkagemeans between the various structural elements of a tripod bumper jack,wherein the path of movement of the jack lifting-hook may be positionedso as to very closely approach the vertical.

.It is a further object to provide manual operating means of therotating lever arm type for actuating-the lifting hook drive means of atripod type bumper jack, wherein such operating means has a path ofrotation lying in a plane very closely approaching the vertical, whileavoiding obstructive interference with all structural elements of thejack and with all adjacent portions ofthe automobile during the liftingoperation.

It is still another object to provide a manually rotatable operatingmeans for a tripod-type bumper jack, wherein such means has a path ofrotation lying in a near-vertical plane at the side of the jackstructure opposite to the lifting-hook, thereby providing-a. convenientand easily accessible control means forellecting actuation of thelifting-hook from apoint of safety remote from the adjacent portions ofthe automobile.

It is a still further object to provide a tripod type of supportingstructure for the lifting-hook ,drive mechanism of a bumper jack,whereinsuch drive. mechanism. is pivotally secured at its lower end to asupporting cross-leg which providesv means for positioning the drivemechanism, and thereby the path of movement of the lifting-hook, so asto very closely approach the vertical.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of myautomobile lifting jack whereby the objects contemplated are obtained ashereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims andillustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bumper jack constructed inaccordance with the present invention seen from a direction lookingtoward the lifting-hook side of the structure.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view-of a bumper jack seen from adirection looking toward the operating handle side of the structure,with-the-supporting leg elements in closely adjacent collapsed relation.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectionalview taken centrally through the jackstructure in its erected position, and showing additional elementspartly broken away and in section.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken in the direction 4-4 on Figure 3.

, 2,738,952; Patented Mar. 20, .1956

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction 55 onFigure 3.

Referring particularly to the drawing, I have shown a channel-shapedhead plate 10 having a pair of downwardly depending ears 12 disposed inparallel relationto each. other. A tubular center post 14 is pivotallysecured to the head plate 10. The cars 12 are adapted to receive boltmeans 15 extending through the upper end of post 14 so as to provide apivotal interconnection between the elements 10 and 14.

A pair of side legs 18, having supporting foot portions 19, arepivotally secured at their upper ends to the tubular center post 14. Achannel-shaped member 20, having outwardly extending ears 21, isattached to the upper end of post 14, as by welding, at a point belowand closely adjacent the depending ears 12. The upper ends of the sidelegs 18 are pivotally secured to the ears 21 as by bolts 23, to elfectinterconnection between the elements 14 and 18.

Apair of arms 2.4 are pivotally secured at their one end tolegs 18, at.a-point adjacent the lower portions of said legs. A channel-shapedcollar 26, having an inner circularly curved surface of slightly greaterthan extent, receives thetu-bular post 14 for axial sliding coopera-tiontherewith, as best seen in Fig. 5. The collar 26 terminates at its freeends in a pair of laterally extending ears 27 disposed in parallelrelation to each other. A channel member 28, having outwardly extendingears 29, is fixedly secured to the outer curved portion of the slidablecollar 26, as by welding. The arms 24 arepivotally .secu-red at theirother end to the cars 29, as by bolts 31. The tubular center post 14 hasan enlarged terminal end 30, providing a stop for longitudinal slidingmovement of the post 14 within the collar 26.

It-will be apparent that the legs 18 may be collapsed angularly inwardlyinto closely adjacent relation with the tubular center post 14. When socollapsed, the arms 24 are pivoted inwardly and upwardly as the collar26 slides upwardly upon the tubular center post 14, as seen in Fig.2.

A longitudinal channel guide 32 extends downwardly from the head plate10. The guide 32 is fixedly secured, as by welding, at its upper end tothe head plate 16), thereby providingapivotal interconnection with thecenter post14 through the elements 10, 12 and 15. An actuator screw 34is received within the channel guide 32. The screw 34 effectslongitudinal shiftable movement of a lifting-hook 36 of the type shownand described in detail in my co-pending application S. N. 329,420,filed January 2, 1953. A rotary collar and bearing assembly 38 supportsthe upper end of the screw 34 upon the head plate 10 A ,U-shapedcross-leg 40, having a supporting foot portion 41 pivotaliy secured atits one end, is pivoted at its other end by means 43 to the ears 27 ofcollar 26.

A pair of straps 42 are each pivotally secured at their one end tothedepending side portions of the U-shaped cross-leg 40, intermediateits ends. The lower end of the channel guide 32 is suitably contoured toprovide full contacting engagement with the upper curved surface of thecross-leg 40 for support thereon. The straps 42 are eachpivotallysecured at their end to the sides of the channel guide 132.

In this manner, the lower end of the channel guide 32 is. supported uponthe inclined upper surface of the crossleg 40 when-thejack is erected,and is fixedly secured in position thereonbythe straps 42.

The use of the pivoted cross-leg 40, secured at its one end by theslidable collar 26 to both the tubular center post 14 and the supportinglegs 18, and providing one of the three supporting feet of the tripodconstruction at its other end, permits the operating mechanism andthereby the path of movement of the lifting-hook to be supported thereonintermediate its ends in a near-vertical position.

The screw 34 is provided with a bevel gear 46, positioned upon thecollar and bearing assembly 38 at the upper end of the screw. A U-shapedsupporting bracket 48 (see Fig. 3) is fixedly secured, as by welding, tothe top surface of the head plate 10. Leg portions 49 of the bracket 48extend upwardly from the head plate 10, and are suitably apertured toreceive a tubular bearing sleeve 50 therethrough. The sleeve 50 isfixedly secured. as by welding, to the legs 49, and is downwardlyinclined with respect to the screw 34. An axle 52 extends through thesleeve 50. The axle 52 is provided at its one end with a bevel gear 54,which cooperates in inter-meshing engagement with the bevel gear 46. Ahandle 56 is secured to the other end of the axle 52, and provides alever arm at right angles to the axle S2. A freely rotatable grippingknob 58 is positioned upon a terminal right angle bend of the handle 56.

it will be apparent that the inclination of the axle 52 with respect tothe screw 34 serves to position the right angle lever arm or handle 56in outwardly spaced relation from the supporting legs 18, therebyavoiding obstructive interference therebetween when the handle 56 isrotated to effect actuation of the lifting-hook. This slight inclinationof the axle 52 permits the operating handle for the near-vertical drivemechanism of the present construction to be positioned so as to providea path of rotation lying in a plane which also is near-vertical, whileavoiding obstructive interference with all of the adjacent structuralelements of the jack. The manner in which I have positioned theoperating handle, by means of the inclined axle and the cooperatingbevel gears, also serves to avoid obstructive interference with allportions of the automobile, and permits the individual operator tomaintain his hands at a point of safety remote from the operating parts.

The upper structural elements, comprising the bevel gears, bearings, androtary axle are suitably lubricated and enclosed with a removable coveror housing 60.

Changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts ofmy automobile lifting jack without departing from the real spirit andpurpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claimsany modified forms of structure or use of mechanical improvements whichmay be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. A load lifting jack comprising an elongated, generally channel-shapedsupport member, a head plate, said support member being rigidly securedat its upper end to said head plate, a bearing adjacent the upper end ofsaid support member, a screw-threaded drive rod journaled in saidbearing and disposed within said channel-shaped support member, a loadlifting member threaded on said rod for longitudinal movement when saidrod is rotated, an elongated support strut pivotally secured at itsupper end to said head plate, a pair of side legs each pivotally securedat its upper end to said strut and having its lower end extending beyondsaid strut, a collar member longitudinally slidable upon said strut, anda pair of arms each pivotally secured at its one end to said collar andat its other end to said side legs, whereby said side legs can be swungoutwardly from said strut, said arms extending upwardly from said sidelegs toward said collar when said side legs are in a collapsed positionclosely adjacent said strut, and said arms extending downwardly fromsaid side legs toward said collar when said side legs are fullyoutwardly extended,

2. A load lifting jack comprising a head plate, an elongated,channel-shaped support member rigidly secured to said head plate, andextending downwardly therefrom, an

elongated drive rod disposed within said channel-shaped support memberand having a load lifting member operatively associated therewith forlongitudinal movement, a cross-leg for supporting thereon the lower endof said channel-shaped member in a near-vertical position, connectormeans pivotally securing the lower end of said channel-shaped member tosaid cross-leg, an elongated support strut pivotally secured at itsupper end to said head plate, a pair of side legs each pivotally securedat its upper end to said strut and having its lower end extending beyondsaid strut, a collar member longitudinally slidable upon said strut, apair of arms pivotally interconnecting said side legs to said collar,said cross-leg being pivotally secured to said collar at its one end andproviding a point of base support at its other end.

3. A load lifting jack of the tripod type, comprising a head plate, anelongated channel-shaped support member rigidly secured to said headplate and extending downwardly therefrom, an elongated drive roddisposed within said channel-shaped support member and having a loadlifting member operatively associated therewith for longitudinalmovement, an inclined cross-leg for supporting thereon intermediate itsends the lower end of said channel-shaped member whereby saidchannel-shaped member is disposed in a near-vertical position, connectormeans pivotally securing the lower end of said channel-shaped member tosaid cross-leg, an elongated support strut pivotally secured at itsupper end to said head plate, a pair of side legs each pivotally securedat its upper end to said strut and providing a point of base support atits lower end below the end of said strut, a collar memberlongitudinally slidable upon said strut, a pair of arms pivotallyinterconnecting said side legs to said collar, said inclined cross-legbeing pivotally secured to said collar at its up per end and providing apoint of base support at its lower end.

4. A load lifting jack comprising a head plate, an elongatedchannel-shaped support member rigidly secured to said head plate andextending downwardly therefrom, an elongated screw disposed within saidchannel-shaped support member and having a load lifting memberoperatively associated therewith for longitudinal movement, a firstbevel gear fixed to the upper end of said screw, an axle rotatablymounted on said head plate at a downward inclination with respect tosaid screw, a second bevel gear fixed to the inner end of said axle andmeshed with said first gear, a crank secured to the outer end of saidaxle for turning said gears to rotate said screw and move said loadlifting member thereon, a cross leg for supporting thereon the lower endof said channel-shaped member in a near-vertical position, connectormeans pivotally securing the lower end of said channel-shaped member tosaid cross leg, an elongated support strut pivotally secured at itsupper end to said head plate, a pair of side legs each pivotally securedat its upper end to said strut and having its lower end extending beyondsaid strut to provide a base support, a collar member longitudinallyslidable on said strut, a pair of arms pivotally interconnecting saidside legs to said collar, said cross leg being pivotally sccured to saidcollar at its one end and providing a point of base support at its otherend.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

